“One player was much better than the other,” Rafael Nadal accepts his level against Novak Djokovic was ‘unacceptable’
Nadal believes his legs can no longer move like they used to.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal hug at the Paris Olympics (Via Imago)
An incredible singles journey of 16 years at the Olympics came to an end for Rafael Nadal at the hands of his greatest rival, Novak Djokovic. He was given no room to breathe as Djokovic held the reins from the get-go in their second-round matchup at the Paris Olympics on Monday (July 29).
After a 1-6, 4-6 defeat on a court that is often called his living room, a defeated Rafael Nadal expressed his disappointment about not being able to compete at the same level as he did just two years ago.
In 2022, Nadal defeated Djokovic in 4 sets en route to his 22nd Grand Slam title, breaking his own record at the time. In 2024, the Spaniard was destroyed by the Serb for a large part of the match at the same venue and he believes he can no longer move like he could before.
One player was much better than the other and we have to accept it. For an hour it was hard to digest everything that was happening, although I did it. I tried to be with the right attitude and mentality to accept it because I knew there was a chance that the duel would go like this.Rafael Nadal said in post-match press conference
After suffering multiple injuries to his legs, Nadal seemed visibly slower on the court. With movement, one of his greatest strengths, taken away, he had to rely solely on his strokes, which too, had dropped in quality after these hiccups.
I was not able to play at the level I needed and he has not given me practically anything either. I did not have the continuous shot quality to create problems for him… I do not have the legs of 15 years ago. So without the ball quality and the legs of 15 years ago, you're not going to create problems for the best in history, right?Rafael Nadal added
He admits that with the weapons he currently possesses, he would pose no threat to World No.2.
Rafael Nadal left with one last shot to take at the Olympic Games
Despite his difficult loss in singles to Djokovic, Rafa’s hopes of winning gold for Spain are not in disarray. After taking out the 6th-seeded Argentinian pair of Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez, 7-6, 6-4, Nadal moved into the second round of doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
They are now scheduled to take on the Dutch duo of Wesley Koolhof and Tallon Griekspoor. Alcaraz had to face Griekspoor in the second round of singles as well on Monday.
The match will be played on the fourth day of the tournament, Tuesday, July 29th, 2024. Nadal may be accustomed to Stade Philippe Chatrier, but he will have to work with the Susanne Lenglen court for a chance to stay in the Olympics race.
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